Thursday, May 5, 2011

Romar Morris of Salisbury High School and Courtney Melvin of East Bladen High School have been named winners of the 2011 Athlete of the Year awards by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).

These are the top athletic awards given by the NCHSAA to honor the most outstanding male and female high school athletes in the state. They were presented at the Dean E, Smith Center on the University of North Carolina campus during the NCHSAA's Annual Meeting on Thursday.

Both of the winners were selected by a special panel of media representatives from across the state. They were each presented with the Pat Best Memorial Trophy, named for the former Goldsboro High principal and president of the NCHSAA who died unexpectedly in 1988.

"On behalf of our Board of Directors and the entire membership of the NCHSAA, we congratulate these outstanding student-athletes on their tremendous achievements during their high school careers," said Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the NCHSAA. "Both have extremely impressive credentials which are in the same vein as previous winners of this award, and we certainly wish them well in their future pursuits.

Morris is a tremendous three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track, a four-year member of those teams at Salisbury.

During his senior year, he was the leading rusher and Most Valuable Player in the NCHSAA 2-AA state championship game in football, earning the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year award. He also played an important role in helping the Hornets reach the Western Regionals in basketball.

Additionally in the winter season, he ran winter track and won the state championship in the 55 meters. In the spring, he runs outdoor track and will be defending his crown as the two-time defending champion in both the 100 and 200 meters. He will also participate in other relay events. During his last three years at Salisbury, he has won five individual state championships and helped lead three teams to state crowns with this spring's season remaining.

He will attend the University of North Carolina next year on a football scholarship.

Melvin has had a remarkable high school career, participating in volleyball, basketball and track. In volleyball she averaged seven kills, three blocks and 16 service points a game for East Bladen. She shattered the school career scoring record in women's basketball, finishing with 2,502 points. She averaged 24.2 points per game and 10.9 rebounds as a senior and was the Eastern Regional MVP as she helped lead East Bladen to the state championship game for the fourth time in the last five years.

In track, she has twice been selected as the Most Valuable Player for her team. She is the 2011 conference champion in the shot put and has qualified for regional competition.

She will continue her athletic and academic career at East Carolina University next fall.

This is the 26th year in which awards have been given to the top overall male and female athletes. Previous winners of the award include: